Pope Francis broke one of the Vatican’s “stained-glass ceilings” on Monday by appointing an Italian sister as the prefect of a Vatican dicastery for the first time. Here’s what you need to know.

Pope Francis this week made the novel decision to appoint the first-ever woman as prefect of a Vatican department, naming Italian Consolata Sister Simona Brambilla as head of the Dicastery for Religious.

Sister Brambilla, who trained as a nurse before entering religious life, was a missionary in Mozambique in the late 1990s.

Pope Francis on Monday named Sister Simona Brambilla the first female prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, tapping Sister Simona Brambilla to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the world’s religious orders.

The appointment marks a major step in Pope Francis' aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the church.

Pope Francis has named the first woman to head a major Vatican office. He is appointing Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian nun, to become prefect of the Vatican department responsible for all the church's religious orders.

A woman is appointed Vatican prefect by Pope Francis for the first time. 'iPhone 17 Pro Max': What to expect from Apple's premium lineup in 2025 The world's richest person in every decade since the 1820s Fears grow over HMPV virus as images emerge from China Fascinating historic pics of the world's most famous landmarks Footprints from 1.